Separating yourself from being "normal" and venturing off into your own business can be a lot of good and bad things. It can be exciting, it can nerve-wracking, it can be frustrating, and it can humbling. Venturing off into your own business can be exciting because you’re doing something you love, nerve-wracking because running your own brand comes with a lot of sacrifice and responsibility, and humbling because your brand or business is not taking off as easily as you thought it would.

No matter what major city you come from whether it be New York, Atlanta, D.C., or Philly, the creatives who are trying to bring awareness to their brand or awareness to their music often complain about the restrictions of being a creative in their city. There often seems to be an excuse as to why their business or music is not progressing as well as they would like it to or as popular as they thought it would be. Two excuses that frequently come up when discussing why creatives cannot take their brand from point a to point b are: “People from my city do not support anything because they are hating" and “I have to move to a different city to get noticed.”

While there could be truth to those two phrases there isn't enough truth to stop an artist, a writer, or an entrepreneur from furthering their dreams. Jenifer Lewis told The Breakfast Club, “Not even me can stop me. I gave up many times in my life, but I didn’t quit.” When you truly want something bad enough nothing will be able to stop you from achieving the goal that you have set for yourself. A small group of people not supporting you will not force you to stop chasing your dream, nor will the city. Here are a few ways to get over the challenge.

If you think: "the people from (insert city) do not support because they are hating"

When creators introduce themselves as a business or an artist to the world aka the internet, they expect everyone to automatically be on board supporting their brand with money in one hand and a free thumb to like and retweet them on the other hand. Just because people know or follow you on your social media platforms does not mean they have to support your business or artistry. Lack of support does not automatically mean that people do not want people to win or they are hating. Lack of support also means that the people that you are targeting are not interested in what you are promoting.

Your friends and followers are not (always) your target audience. If you are a t-shirt business who targets Black culture and femininity and your followers are 80% male and 20% Caucasian on your platforms, you will not get the engagement and support that you would like. Along with a lack of support, you may lack strategy. Deciding to be an artist on Monday, dropping a song on Thursday, and expecting to be viral with label offers by Saturday is not realistic.

You have to research your target audience, discover their interests and buying habits, and interest them with the music you're making, the service you are providing, or the products you are selling. A link and an announcement will not suffice. So, is it your city holding you back from progressing or is it you not working the correct way?

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If You Think: Moving to a different city will help you gain popularity

Think again. Moving from your home, which is a popular city, to another popular city with the goal of getting people to support you is not the solution for gaining a big break for your art. Overall, you may run into the same issues.

If you are unorganized, unwilling to network, or lack strategy, how is moving to another major city filled with people who are trying to do the same things you are doing going to change your circumstances? No matter where you move, you will run into the same issues of support. Packing up and leaving from a city like Philadelphia to New York is like moving next door from your original home but paying ten times more to get the support and gain exposure. Moving to another state but doing the same things you were doing in your city will not change the lack of support.

Before you decide to challenge your city on why you are not “making it” or thriving, think about yourself because it is most definitely your dream and responsibility. Think about whether you are doing and what you should be doing. Are the people you’re selling to your target audience? Are you fulfilling every aspect of progression? It is not your city. You have to do the work before you ask for support. Strategize, research, network, and be patient.